Food and Family: Scrumptious books for the season to come

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If you too are ready to move from spooky tales to warm and cozy stories, do I have some suggestions for you. Brand new (2025) books of family, friends, and food just in time for the season of abundance. Enjoy these reads with your best book buddy, an extra cozy blanket, and your favorite stretchy pants.

PICTURE BOOKS:

Family Feast!
Written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Frank Morrison
Random House Children’s Books
Age 4-8
September 23, 2025

When this multi-generational family gathers for a party, no one will leave without a full belly and a full heart. “Tastes like home when family meets; bond so warm, so strong, so sweet.” This hug of a refrain anchors a poetic picture of a joyful day of food, family, connection and home. Vibrant colors and bold strokes of oil paint perfectly capture the action and emotion of a large and loving (and loud if they’re like mine!) extended family.

Owl’s Fall Feast Fiasco
Written by Kristen Rememar and illustrated by Matt Faulkner
Charlesbridge
Age 3-7
September 5, 2025

Menu planning for a party is stressful! Especially as Owl attempts to impress his favorite didgeridoo musician and learns that he doesn’t really even understand the tastes of his closest friends. By asking questions and accepting their different palates, Owl learns that gathering with friends is the most important part of a feast. The combination of speech bubbles, graphic-like panels, and full-page spreads allow unique animal personalities to eclipse stereotypes in this ode to a forest Friendsgiving.

MIDDLE GRADE:

Witchycakes: Sweet Magic
Written by Kara LaRue and Illustrated by Ariane Moreira
Random House Children’s Books
Age 6-9
August 19, 2025

“In a magical bakery by the sea, live a witch and a witch-to-be…” Blue and their mama bake up tasty treats with a little magic and a lot of love. While making the deliveries, Blue gets to practice different bits of magic as they try to help their friends and neighbors. This delightful early chapter book blends themes of independence and community spirit with the gentle lesson of learning from our mistakes. Whimsical, candy-colored illustrations complement the story and showcase a diverse and vibrant community full of heart.

The Secret of Honeycake
Written by Kimberly Newton Fusco
Knopf
Age 8-12
January 21, 2025

In the midst of the Great Depression, a young girl named Hurricane is forced by family tragedy to move in with an intimidating great aunt and her kind-hearted servant. Through her insecurity and grief, she learns about the ways of caregiving, the importance of using her voice, and the magic that can come from sharing food cooked with love.

NONFICTION:

Sweet and Salty! King Arthur Company’s Cookbook for Young Bakers
Written by King Arthur Baking with Jessica Battilana and Yekaterina Boytsova
Photography by Rick Holbrook and illustrated by Jordan Sondler
Simon & Schuster
Age 8-12
September 30, 2025

For anyone new to baking—no matter the age—King Arthur’s new title is just the guide for those looking to share love through food this holiday season. Full of tips for getting started, skills tutorials like how to “just fold it in!” (a photo guide titled “What is folding and how do you do it?”), equipment lists, and plenty of recipes for sweet and savory treats. Mouthwatering photography, fun and funny graphics, and easy to follow instructions are blended into the most delicious book for all aspiring bakers.

When Alexander Graced the Table
Written by Alexander Smalls and Denene Millner and illustrated by Frank Morrison
Simon and Schuster
Age 4-8
January 7, 2025

Inspired by family and food, this is the origin story of a young boy who would grow to be a James Beard Award-winning chef. Always enamored of Sunday dinners with his family, Alexander Smalls used his new kitchen skills to make a sweet surprise for his father and family to enjoy. Morrison’s oils capture both the thoughtful and ambitious boy and the emotions that inspired him. This would make a lovely non-fiction companion to Family Feast.

YOUNG ADULT:

Legendary Frybread Drive-In: Intertribal Stories
Edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith
HarperCollins Publishers/Heartdrum
August 26, 2025
12+

Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive-In is everywhere and nowhere all at once. Each piece of this anthology takes place against the backdrop of the drive-in, as teenagers from Alaska to Hawai’i enjoy traditional foods, comfort snacks, and a little bit of magic to provide just what they need when they need it. As they deal with hallmark challenges of young adulthood—grief, love, jealousy, friendship, and family—they make connections within, beyond, and between Indigenous cultures.

Love Craves Cardamom
Written by Aashna Avachat
Random House Children’s Books/Joy Revolution
Age 13+
May 20, 2025

Archi is an American Desi HS student studying abroad in Jaipur and hoping for a “boy-free semester.” Shiv is a mysterious boy who wants to show her the city in all its delicious vibrancy, even when he’s not ready to show his true self. This lighthearted YA rom-com is a story of growth, culture, self-awareness, agency, and the way that food can nurture us—body, heart, and soul.

Here’s to a delicious season of thankfulness for you and yours. May your hearts, bellies, and bookshelves be full!

Butler Bookshelf

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For this week’s Butler Bookshelf, we’re exploring all things mythological. From the fire-breathing dragons who can’t quite seem to keep their underpants burn-free to the little girl who’s unsure what to do with a seemingly-stranded unicorn… (The carnival? A pet store maybe?), each of these picture book picks feature some fantastical creatures and the chaos (or magic!) that ensues. Our feature pick this week is The Bakery Dragon and the Fairy Cake, written and illustrated by Devin Elle Kurtz, the second book in her best-selling (and authorial debut!) series. Ember the dragon is an excellent baker, so it’s no surprise when Princess Turnip arrives with the daunting request that he shall be the one to bake for the Fairy Queen’s birthday party. Only one small problem: The Queen wants a “birthday cake” and Ember’s never heard of “birthday cake” before! Apparently, it’s supposed to be: sweet, tall, and… full of candles?! Despite some failed attempts and a few tears (and thanks to a handy-dandy gaggle of fellow dragons who are more than willing to sample the burnt extras…), Ember is determined to let them eat cake. The fairies, that is.

Check out some more mythical creature tales (tails) below!

The Angel and the Mermaid
Becky Cameron
The Quarto Group / Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Available now!

Dragons Love Underpants
Claire Freedman
Illustrated by Ben Cort
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing / Aladdin
Available now!

The Bakery Dragon and the Fairy Cake
Devin Elle Kurtz
Random House Children’s Books / Knopf Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Sometimes You Find a Dragon
Viviane Schwarz
Candlewick Press
Available now!

Unicorn Post
Emma Yarlett
Candlewick Press
Available now!

Worm-Tastic: A Review of Night Chef

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Night Chef: An Epic Tale of Friendship With a Side of Deliciousness!
Mika Song
Random House Children’s Books/RH Graphic
Ages 7-10
Available October 28. 2025

Night Chef lives in the walls of a human kitchen, only coming out at night to cook. But when an egg hatches into a baby crow, it becomes necessary to venture out past the safety of her kitchen to return it to its family. Along the way, she meets a wide cast of characters and starts to build a family of her own.

Song captures Night Chef’s journey in watercolors, giving the book a unique style that allows it to stand out among scores of graphic novels. Pages contain minimal dialogue, with characters often speaking in only one or two sentences, allowing focus to be pulled to the action and scenery on the pages. As Night Chef travels, she meets a variety of creatures, each of which teaches her a lesson about family and allows her to expand her chef training outside of the kitchen. The culmination, an epic face-off with the fate of an animal restaurant with a worm-heavy menu, finds Night Chef viewing family in a new light.

With gorgeous pictures and digestible dialogue, Night Chef has the ability to entice seasoned and reluctant readers alike. The heartwarming story, combined with humor and moments of action, gives this graphic novel a wide appeal.

Butler Bookshelf

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October marches forward, a chill fills the air, and Halloween creeps ever closer. In the past few weeks, we’ve looked at middle grade horror and Halloween picture books, and this week we’re topping it off with a look at some of the young adult horror novels in our collection. Our feature pick is The Transition by Logan-Ashley Kisner. After Hunter gets top surgery, he’s prepared to deal with the healing process. What he’s not prepared for, though, is being attacked by a huge and mysterious animal just after getting his drains out. Without warning, Hunter’s body is revolting against him, turning into something else without his permission. After they find out, his friends Gabe and Mars are in a race against the clock to find a cure before his transformation is complete. But the siren song of the wolf inside him calls out to Hunter, offering him a life where he doesn’t have to worry about his trans body or the transphobic bullies who are constantly escalating their attacks.

Check out more young adult horror novels below!

The Dead of Summer
Ryan La Sala
Scholastic/PUSH
Available now!

Let’s Split Up
Bill Wood
Scholastic/Scholastic Press
Available now!

The Protegee
Erica Ridley
Random House Children’s Books/Delacorte Press
Available now!

The Transition
Logan-Ashley Kisner
Random House Children’s Books/Delacorte Press
Available now!

Who’s All Going (to Die)?
Lisa Springer
Random House Children’s Books/Delacorte Press
Available now!

This Book’s The Real Peel: A Review of This is Orange

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This is Orange: A Field Trip Through Color
Rachel Poliquin
Illustrated by Julie Morstad
Candlewick Press
Ages 5-9
Available October 21st, 2025

Whether it’s that first juicy bite of a mandarin, the fur of your feisty tabby cat, or even the Guianan cock-of-the-rock’s flamboyant, lady-wooing crest, the color orange is everywhere… but who exactly was the first to call it “orange?” This exploration of color begins over six hundred years ago, when Geoffrey Chaucer’s famous book The Canterbury Tales describes a fox whose “colour was betwixe yelow and reed.” Although the word itself stems from the Tamil word for fragrant: naru, one of the English language’s first written accounts of the color orange comes from a description of the Queen of Scotland’s dress with “slevys of orenge colour.”This is Orange traces the color’s presence around our world, from the holidays we celebrate to the fruits we eat, even to the garb of astronauts and monks alike.  

Author Rachel Poliquin draws inspiration from her Renaissance woman background—part museum curator, part humanities scholar, part literature PhD. She pairs simpler sentences for younger readers with fascinating fun facts for those who are a bit older, like how “the feet of mallard ducks turn bright orange when they are trying to find a mate, yet puffins’ feet are always orange” (22). The brisk pace and jumps from topic to topic—from color theory all the way to vexillology—keep This is Orange feeling bright and engaging rather than overwhelming, although the text may have benefited from the inclusion of a glossary for more curious readers.

A “field trip” might be one way to describe it, but in combination with Julie Morstad’s vibrant watercolor & pastel illustrations, where shades of apricot and calendula feel like they’ve been taken fresh from the paint palette, an “adventure” through color feels more like it. 

Butler Bookshelf

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For this week’s Butler Bookshelf, we’re celebrating all things super! No matter what your taste in superheroes is, these middle grade novels have you covered with everything from donut-throwing drag queens to anthropomorphic pancakes. Our feature pick is Donutella Hamachi and the Library Avengers by Kim Chi and Stephan Lee, with illustrations by Utomaru. Jae Han loves his local library, where he can hang out with his friends, read all of his favorite writer Park Seon Woo’s graphic novels, and write his own comics about his stunning donut-themed drag queen superhero, Donutella Hamachi. When the mayor announces that the library will be shut down to make way for a new mall, it seems like Jae Han and his friends have lost the only place they can truly be themselves. But Jae Han has an idea that might just let them save the library after all — an arts showcase that can attract attention to the library and let all the creative people in town show off their talents. It’s time to channel Donutella’s bravery and fierce attitude to save the library before it’s too late!

Check out more middle grade fiction about superheroes below!

Donutella Hamachi and the Library Avengers
Kim Chi and Stephan Lee
Illustrated by Utomaru
Candlewick Press/Walker Books US
Available now!

Superworld 2: Destructo World
Yarrow Cheney and Carrie Cheney
Random House Children’s Books/Random House Books for Young Readers
Available now!

Max Meow: When Pancakes Go Bad (Really Bad!)
John Gallagher
Random House Children’s Books
Available now!

Shadow Warrior
Shogo Aoki
Scholastic/Graphix
Available now!

The (Not So) Superheroes
Swapna Haddow
Illustrated by Minky Stapleton
Scholastic
Available now!

Let Freedom Read Day-What can you do to defend the freedom to read?

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This Banned Books Week, reading advocates around the country are fighting harder than ever against book challenges. And they need your help! You might ask what actions you can take, what can just one person do to make an difference? Well, our friends at Banned Books Week and the American Library Association Office for Intellectual Freedom have put together this helpful advocacy guide for making your voice heard through actions big and small.

Book banning not only limits our choices, but it limits our worldview by silencing marginalized voices, sanitizing our history, and confining our critical thinking skills and intellectual growth.

Saturday, October 11 is Let Freedom Read Day. What will you to to defend books and readers?

Butler Bookshelf

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It’s the first Butler Bookshelf of October! We’re celebrating the beginning of the most haunted season of all by taking a look at some of the Halloween picture and board books in the Butler Center collection. Our feature pick is The Big Monster Bake by Fiona Barker and illustrated by Eve O’Brien. It’s Halloween on Monster Street, and the monsters are headed out to share their Halloween cake with their neighbors. Each house on the street celebrates in their own way, with their own sweet treats to boot! The book provides back matter explaining the real-world holidays and traditions the monstrous households’ celebrations are based on, and provides recipes for those who want to try out the celebrations on their own.

Check out more Halloween books below!

The Big Monster Bake
Fiona Barker
Illustrated by Eve O’Brien
The Quarto Group/Happy Yak
Available now!

Getting Ready for Halloween
Vera Ahiyya
Illustrated by Debby Rahmalia
Random House Children’s Books/PICTUREBACK
Available now!

Halloween at the Zoo
Illustrated by Lala Watkins
Candlewick Press/Candlewick Entertainment
Available now!

Hap-Pea Halloween
Keith Baker
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing/Beach Lane Books
Available now!

The Haunted Scavenger Hunt: A Spook-Tacular Storybook
Steve Patschke
Illustrated by Roland Garrigue
Candlewick Press/Templar Books
Available now!

New Shoes, Old Traditions: A Review of Charlotte’s New Moccasins

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Charlotte’s New Moccasins
Jenn Moudahi
Illustrated by Rhael McGregor
Charlesbridge
Ages 3-8
Available October 14th, 2025

Charlotte loves her moccasins, but she’s finally outgrown them. At first, she mourns her favorite shoes, until Mommy announces that it’s time for a trip to see Grandma! Together, Charlotte and her grandma pick out their materials, decide on a beaded design, and sew together a brand new pair of moccasins to fit Charlotte’s growing feet. What started out as a disappointment turns into an exciting adventure, as Charlotte decides that she can’t wait to outgrow her new moccasins and start the whole process all over again.

Moudahi’s prose captures all of the big emotions Charlotte is feeling, from deep sadness to profound joy. There is a deep sense of familiarity throughout the story — Charlotte knows everything in her grandmother’s workshop, even if the reader does not, and comments on each item with an ease that brings us into her world. McGregor’s full color, full page illustrations bring the story to life, capturing Charlotte’s joy through constant motion. A repeated motif of orange-yellow swirls follows her throughout the book as her love and excitement grow.

Growing out of a beloved item of clothing is something every child can relate to. Some may be familiar with moccasins and see themselves reflected in the story, while for others it will be an introduction to new cultures and traditions. For children who want to know more about moccasins and their importance to various Indigenous cultures, back matter provides a more in-depth explanation.

Butler Bookshelf

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Fall has officially begun, and with October just around the corner, this week’s Butler Bookshelf is all about middle grade horror stories! From fantastical mysteries to nail-biting thrillers, these books are the perfect way to kick off spooky season early. (Scaredy-cats beware!) Our feature pick this week is Cry Out Loud, a graphic novel written and illustrated by Tara O’Connor. After Irish teen Nell’s been suspended from school, her mother decides she’s going to spend her school term off on the coastal countryside, with a mysterious aunt and uncle she’s never met. There’s no cell service; it’s rainy, dreary, and the townspeople are far from friendly, but things quickly take a terrifying turn as Nell discovers her family belongs to an ancient, murderous cult. And to make matters worse, their magical ritual requires the sacrifice of a first-born daughter… one who just so happens to be Nell! Can she escape before it’s too late? Pick up Cry Out Loud to find out!

Check out some more middle grade spooky stories below!

Open Wide
I.M. Eerie
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing / Aladdin 
Available now!

Stitch: Reimagining Frankenstein
Padraig Kenny
Candlewick Press / Walker Books US
Available now!

Cry Out Loud
Tara O’Connor
Random House Children’s Books / RH Graphic
Available now!

Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave
Ally Russell
Random House Children’s Books / Delacorte Press
Available now!

Phantom Academy
Christine Virnig
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing / Aladdin
Available now!